Radiumator



I Nov. 8, 1927. 1,648,746

S.- A. STEIN RADIUMATOR Filed Oct. 8, 1925 INVENTOR- A /QZQ'Z Q 2 76;

TORNEY Patented Nov. 8, 1927.

UNITED STATES SAMUEL A. STEIN, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

RADIUMATOR.

Application filed October 8, 1925. Serial No. 61,295.

This invention relates to radio-active apparatus and a method for producing radioactive effects.

7 7 It has been proposed to render argillaceous objects radio active by rinsing the formed object with some radio active liquid and then burning and glazing the object to harden.

It will be seen that this will result in only 10 a superficial, friable glazing of the treated surface of the object and that not only may the thin washed-on layer be cast oif by chipping, but the glazing more or less renders the layer impervious to water which is to be treated.

M present invention has for an object to rovide what I term a radiumator includmg a porous, baked or otherwise hardened, unglazed element which is made of a plastic composition including one or more natural substances of a radio-active characteristic.

From this it will be seen that an object is to provide an apparatus in which water to be radiumized may be allowed to infiltrateorous, radio-active bodies with relative dom thus enabling a material reduction in the actual quantity of the agent because of the element being unglazed and readily accessible.

An object is to accomplish the ready, ef-

fective treatment of a considerable body of water by permittin it to filtrate through porous elements 0 radio-active character and which are so designed and disposed as 85 to cause slow, but substantially constant,

flow of the water in which they are immersed.

An object is to provide an apparatus having active, charging elements which are porous, whose bodies are of a mass permeated by the active media, and whose inner and outer faces are both radio-active andreadily penetrable by radiumized. An objlfct 1s to provide elements which are in t 0 form of active units adapted to be submerged in water in any suitable vessel, and therefore enable replacement of damaged parts from time to time without change of the vessel proper.

Other objects and advantages of the aparatus will be made manifest in the followmg specification of the illustrated embodiment thereof in the accompanyin drawing; it being obvious and understood t at the exposition is not intended .to be limitary in character, but the usual reservation is here the water to be expressed of possible modification, variation and adaptation of the invention within the spirit and scope thereof.

Figure 1 is a perspective of a form of the apparatus; parts being in section.

Figure 2 is a bottom plan of the vessel cover.

Figure 3 is a top plan of an outer, active unit or element.

Figure 4 is a top plan of an inner element.

Figure 5 is a perspective of the inner unit or element.

Figure 6 is a perspective of a fragment of the cover to show the lead gasket thereof.

The apparatus, as shown here, includes any suitable vessel 2 preferably having a cover 3 with a lead gasket 4 to engage the rim of the vessel and prevent loss of radio-energy by mere leak or passage of air in and out of the vessel.

Within the vessel is one of more =bodies preferably of 'tubuluar form which are constructed of moldable, plasticsubstance impregnated throughout with one or more natural minerals of a radio-active property. For instance, the active units or elements may be composed of a clay or other base combined or mixed with ferberite, uranium, feldspar concentrates (all radio-active) volcanic rock powder, Belgian sand, and soda ash. The plastic mixture is molded into one-shape or another and suitably hardened, as by baking. This produces a porous, stable radio-active mass readily permeable by water in which the element is submerged.

I prefer that the elements be tubular, conical and open ended. An effective combination is shown in Fig. 1, wherein an outer, upwardly flaring element 5 is supported by its flange 5 on a shoulder or ledge .6 in the vessel with its lower end well above the bottom of the vessel so as to allow universal flow capacity of water in the vessel. Convection currents are facilitated by recessing the flange 5 to allow flow and by providing ports 5 in the wall of'the element 5.

1 Within the chamber of the element 5 is another element 7 of tubular, conical, open-end form suitably roportioned as to element 5 so as to provi e ample flow space therebetween. The element is here shown as detachably suspended from the cover 3. Suitable means for such detachable combination may be employed and here consists of segmental lugs 7 on the element 7 engaging with complementary hooks 3 on the under face of the cover 3. Near thetop ofithe inner element 7 are holes 7 for the passage of any gases which may rise in the central unit 7.

The vessel may be filled nearly to the to with initially pure fresh water and this wil soon become radio-activefrom contact and infiltration processes within the mass or body material forming the active elements.

The porous element may be readily removed and occasionally given a thorough scrubbing to remove, not only superficial deosits,-and solidifications that may be ,taken om the water, but the naked surfaces of the porous elements maybe sanded ofi to resun dried and thus derive every potential advantage from such'air and sun exposure.

I have, therefore, provided a process for rendering water radio-active by immersing or submerging therein an element whose body is porous and permeable by the water and is impregnated throughout by a radioactive media.

- .What is claimed is:

Apparatus for treating liquid, consisting of a vessel and a cover therefor, a radioactive element removably supported in the vessel, and another radio-active element detachably connected to the said cover; both of the elements bein in the vessel and orming an intervening annular gap for the flow of water.

' SAMUEL A. S'I'EIN,

immersed in the liquid 

